Politique Internationale — With Paris 2024 less than a year and a half away, how are you feeling?
Anne Hidalgo — I am very enthusiastic! An exceptional, unique, historic moment is in the making: It is only once in your life that you experience the Olympic and Paralympic Games in your city! Preparations are intensifying and all the actors involved are working hard to make Paris 2024 a success, a global celebration of sport, of excelling, of solidarity.
P. I. — In the summer of 2024, Paris will be in the whole world’s sights. Are you already imagining this period and how it will unfold? What image do you want Paris to give to the rest of the world?
A. H. — I want these Games to be a big popular celebration, to forge links that go beyond our differences, to be synonymous with unity, sharing, conviviality. What’s more, these Games will be a tremendous accelerator for transforming our city to make it more accessible, pleasanter, better equipped to deal with climate change. There will be a ‘before’ and an ‘after’ for Parisians who, on a daily basis, will benefit from the legacy bequeathed by the Games. I’m thinking of the Seine, being able to swim there after the Games: that’s a fantastic legacy!
P. I. — The next few months will be busy, between the completion of construction projects, the embellishment of the city, the various and varied retroplannings ... Do you worry about the imponderables?
A. H. — The organization of major events, with construction sites and substantial works to welcome visitors and athletes alike in the best way possible, always has its share of unforeseen events, that’s undeniable. But we are surrounded by competent and responsive professionals who have my full confidence. The various projects will be delivered on time. Our schedule will be respected. Paris will be ready.
P. I. — Is this deadline one of the summits, if not the summit, of your mission at the head of the capital?
A. H. — That it’s ‘a summit’ is obvious! But it’s one of many. We have been preparing for this for so long, from the early stages of the bid. And then, this summit is made up of different stages that are all just as crucial for the future of the city: the Olympic and Paralympic Games are an adventure that unfolds over several years. This is a chance we are offered to better adapt our city to climate change, a goal I have had since the first days of my mandate and that I will keep until the end, to improve air quality, protect the health of Parisians, reduce travel between the home and workplace, take advantage of quieter, greener streets that are more welcoming to children, people with disabilities and the elderly.
P. I. — Is a deadline like this, its preparation in particular, likely to further increase the international stature of the city?
A. H. — Paris has always been a global city, attracting visitors from all over the world. Of course the Olympic and Paralympic Games will shine all the spotlight on us: we will be scrutinized and, I hope – we are doing everything to ensure it – admired. I want Paris to be taken as a model, a city of its time, fully in tune with its century, a pioneer in the face of climate and social justice issues. These ambitions are at the heart of my mandate and of Paris’ international commitment, in particular through its participation in the ‘Cities COP’ or the C40. Sport is also a great way to convince new people and show how a city’s adaptation can go hand in hand with a global celebration of the magnitude of the 2024 Games.
P. I. — Are your foreign contacts interested in the approaching deadline? Do they have the opportunity to question you on this subject?
A. H. — Of course! The organization of the Olympic and Paralympic Games always arouses curiosity, if not fascination. And the closer the deadline comes, the stronger the interest grows. They are also very interested in how Paris is changing in order to face the great climate challenge. We are showing that the Games are a tremendous vector for accelerating all of our projects aimed at adapting the city to climate change.
P. I. — For your part, in the context of your international exchanges, are you using the lever effect of the Olympics? Is this a means for you to help push your projects forward?
A. H. — The status of ‘Olympic city’ is obviously an asset in the sense that Paris becomes even more attractive because of it. As we will be hosting delegations from all over the world, we are obliged to speed up certain projects and therefore go faster still when it comes to vegetation, accessibility and infrastructure for cycling. I am also thinking, of course, of the creation of a reserved Olympic lane which will be a decisive first step in transforming the Paris ring road. These Games will help modify the habits of those who use their car every day and who will gradually be able to take advantage of more pleasant alternatives. The place of the Seine in our city will also be turned completely upside down: all Parisians will be able to reclaim their river for sport and swimming.
P. I. — The episode at the Stade de France has brought security issues back to the fore. A good thing in your opinion?
A. H. — When it comes to the Games, security issues have always been at the heart of our concerns. The same goes for the State, which is on the front line in that regard. Our country and our city have a long history of hosting major sporting events; I am thinking of Euro 2016, which was held less than a year after the attacks that left our capital in mourning. We will obviously be ready to organize Games that are perfectly safe for visitors and residents. The creation of a municipal police force in Paris, which I managed to put on track in 2021, is part of this assumption of responsibility by the city.
However, the role of the mayor that I am is to always bear in mind the fact that these Games must remain a great popular celebration.
P. I. — Do you see the Olympic city label still being applied by the city in the years to come? To what advantage?
A. H. — One hundred years after 1924, these Games will once again mark the history of our city. This label must continue to inspire us, to set the bar high. It must encourage us to be ever more ambitious in terms of the accessibility of sporting practices, without distinction of gender, means or physical ability. Sport is an incredible vector of inclusion; it will have to continue to be celebrated after 2024, yes, thanks to this Olympic city label.
P. I. — What would you say to people who still doubt the value, for the city and the country, of hosting the Games? Those who evoke pell-mell budgetary constraints, daily inconveniences …
A. H. — Hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games brings the promise of experiencing a historic, joyful and exceptional moment. The funding committed to the Games obliges us to be up to the challenge, for D-Day of course, but also and above all for the legacy they will bequeath to our city and to the Parisians, who will see real improvements in their daily lives. Paris will no longer be the same, it will be much easier to live with after all these long-awaited transformations.
P. I. — Are the city and your services already in Paris 2024 mode? How will this powerful upswing be orchestrated on an operational level?
A. H. — Of course! The Games have been at the heart of debates and discussions for years! It’s not something you can improvise. We have already begun certain projects and we will keep stepping up the city’s preparation between now and 2024. The Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games (OCOG) plays a prominent role in this preparation, in conjunction with the various departments, and the ‘powerful upswing’ will be done in the weeks and months to come. I would also like to acknowledge the incredible work of all the teams who will make these Games a huge success!
P. I. — On a personal note, do you have memories of previous Olympic cities …
A. H. — I can’t help but think back to my stay in Tokyo last year when I received the Olympic flag. Attending the closing ceremony was an incredible privilege and I will never forget the emotion I felt while admiring the flags of all the delegations. Seeing up close all these athletes of different nationalities and cultures united around sport was a powerful moment, images that will not fade from my mind, a lifetime memory.